American and Caribbean hurricanes force UK petrol costs up

Lucy Ball

Prices at the pump are going to rise, say RAC experts, after several devastating hurricanes have hit the southern states of America and the Caribbean.

In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, which hit America’s oil-producing regions earlier this month and Hurricane Irma and Jose causing more damage, fuel costs will rise by as much as four pence per litre taking the average price to 121p.

This kind of price hasn’t been seen since December 2014. It is due to one-quarter of the oil refining capacity of America being offline due to the devastation caused by the hurricane. Added to that, demand in the US for petrol has increased, which can also drive up prices.